Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2011 October 31

= October 31 =

Yet more BBC iplayer questions
So, having downloaded stuff from their website, I find myself wondering a couple of things.

Firstly, can I copy stuff over onto a different computer? You see, when I tried to download what I wanted, the site insisted I install first the latest update of the downloader, as they do every time it seems, but yet it refused to install for no reason, and I have had to download everything onto my tiny laptop, which is small and has not much space, I would rather watch on my larger screen wit a bigger hard drive, more memory and so on, so can I effectively find the programs, copy and paste them and then copy them again onto the other computer? And would they run there without the newest update?

And secondly, is it true what I have heard, that the moment you start watching anything downloaded, whenever it was due to run out before, you immediately have a week before it disappears?

148.197.80.214 (talk) 18:56, 31 October 2011 (UTC)


 * As to your second question: yes; a downloaded programme (in the British sense of a show, not a piece of software or 'program') will before being watched have an expiry date of typically about a month after the date of download, but once you've begun the first viewing you have only seven days (during which you can replay it as often as you like) before it will disappear - both these periods are indicated by explicit graphics on the iPlayer's 'Downloads' 'Programmes' listing. Note that the list can be displayed in alphabetical order of Series/Titles under the 'Available Now' tab, or in order of individual expiry date under the 'Expiring' tab.
 * Regarding your installation problem, it's been quite a while since I installed the desktop iPlayer, but I recall having to remove and reinstall it at least once before it first worked satisfactorily, and at least once again after one of the subsequent periodic upgrades, which can sometimes be delayed but not avoided entirely. Also, after another upgrade, I found I'd lost the several unwatched programmes I'd downloaded, which were no longer available from the iPlayer website, so it might be a wise precaution to watch all your current downloads before accepting an upgrade.
 * As far as I understand it, you are only intended to be able to run the programmes on the copy of the iPlayer you've downloaded them to, but I lack the technical knowledge to know if this is circumventable - I'd advise you to persevere in trying to install the iPlayer on your preferred machine. Hope this helps. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.193.78.35 (talk) 00:19, 1 November 2011 (UTC)